Customer Reviews

A Timely Vision (A Missing Pieces Mystery)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The cover says 'First in an All-New Series'. I sincerely hope so!

Dae O'Donnell has the gift of finding things. (If you've lost something, she can hold your hands and she can see where it is.) She has a shop, 'Missing Pieces', full of donations and 'found' things. She is also the mayor of the town 'Duck' which pays all of $1000 per year, expects her to it that things are done, attend openings, hold meetings, and answer to the population!

It's the 4th of July, and the town is full of summer day visitors. A storm is coming in, the visitors are leaving and Miss Mildred, 92, has come to Dae to see if she can find a watch she lent to her sister, Miss Elizabeth, 90. Miss Elizabeth hasn't returned it and won't answer her phone, so she wants to find out where it is. (Elizabeth and Mildred have not been friends since Elizabeth stole Mildred's boyfriend, years and years ago.)

Dae goes to Elizabeth's house, but she isn't answering and has been known to wander off. She is getting ready to call the police chief when a voice asks her if she's trying to break in! She drops her phone, turns and sees the new owner of 'The Blue Whale', an inn which has been out of business and neglected for years. Kevin Brickman has retired to Duck and intends to restore the inn.

When the Chief comes and determines that Miss Elizabeth isn't home, the townspeople set up a search for her as the storm is getting very bad and she might be out in it.

Kevin and Dae start off and she sees Mary Lou Harcourt and helpers trying to save turtle eggs and she goes down to the beach to tell Mary Lou that she can't help. As she goes back up to Kevin, she trips, and when she looks to see what tripped her, she sees Miss Elizabeth's arm! They have to recover the body as the sand is washing away in the storm. Kevin helps uncover her body and carries it up to safety. Her purse is missing, and they assume that it was washed away. She never went out without the purse.

Everyone is shocked and unhappy as it appears that she was murdered. There is a cut on her head.

When Dae tells Miss Mildred that the purse is missing, she says that Elizabeth brought it to her a day or so ago, and produces it. As Elizabeth was dead at the time, suspicion arises that perhaps Miss Mildred killed her and doesn't remember it. A small shovel is found in her shed, one that fits the blow. She is arrested and then put in a nursing home with criminals under police surveyance. Dae doesn't believe that Mildred did it.

Kevin asks her to find a key for him. He has one room that he can't get into. She finds the key and they open the room only to have a big surprise!

The next thing the town discovers is that both Miss Mildred's and Miss Elizabeth's properties have been put up for auction! As Dae starts investigating, she finds a lot of chicanery has been
going on by a realtor and a newscaster.

This is a fast, very enjoyable read.

The writing is crisp, the characters are well-formed and the story is unique and interesting. A sophisticated cozy with a protagonist who has a special talent for finding things. Even if you don't quite believe in her unique beyond the norm gift, you can still find lots to like in this clever read based in the Outer Banks. I can't wait for book two and will look for others by this writing duo.

Not too much fluff and just a touch of romance but not enough to make a non romance reader "me" sick. I purchased this to read sometime this summer but that didn't work out as planned. I read this in one sitting. Sometimes books just talk to you and you can't put them down. I needed something less heavy than the "dragon girl" books and this took me to a better place. Can't wait for the next one. Hurry

The cover promises that this is the first in a new series; I for one will eagerly look forward to the further adventures of Dae O'Donnell and the other residents of Duck, NC. Good characters, a great sense of place and a fast moving plot make this a fun read. Not to mention Dae's gift for finding lost items (and finding good homes for her treasures)and the hints of ghostly activity! Fans of these authors will not be disappointed in this newest Missing Pieces series.

The premise of the book seems very exciting - Dae can find lost articles just by touching the person who has lost the item, and even has a sense of which are important finds. However, I find the plot plodding, the characters rather dull and the entire framework of the story to be rather tedious. Maybe if you live in the South, the slow pace would make more sense? No, I don't mean that as an insult, I truly wonder if living a slower pace might make this book more enjoyable? Dae's "romance" with Kevin (can't even remember his name) seemed to be tediously paced. Reading this book reminds me of the bad part of living in a small town in the 70's, the slowness, the rather narrow thinking, the cramped feel to it...in my opinion, at least.

Another thing that bothers me is this: Dae "finds" these articles and then sells them in her store...but no mention is ever made of her trying to find the rightful owners. She just "finds" and "keeps" items, apparently. And the store even has very expensive finds in it too...did she truly find them...or buy them?

It's not a book that I enjoyed but I'm glad to see that others have.

Here's a mystery that's perfect to pack along in your beach bag. Set in the small coastal town of Duck, North Carolina, this cozy is full of characters you'll want to spend time with...including the psychic protagonist Dae O'Donnell. Dae's gift is finding lost things. When Dae (who is mayor of Duck, as well as owner of a charming collectible shop) is asked by elderly resident Miss Mildred to find her missing watch, Dae discovers a body instead.

The book is fast-paced and the characters feel like friends. I'm looking forward to book 2 in the series--and I enjoy reading the Lavenes' other series, too.

A great first in a series. Characters are introduced, backgrounds filled in and the mystery solved. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

As many who have reviewed this book have said, I'm glad this is the first in a series, if this book is any indication. The main character who is the Mayor of the town has a "gift." She finds things in a somewhat paranormal way. With a touch of someone's hand, she can tell what and where a person has lost something. It might be a key, a bracelet, an article of clothing. No matter, this "gift" is essential to the story. Every one of the mysteries I read has some sort of gimmick and of course this "gift" is the one for these books.
There is an awful lot of reading in this little book but it kept my interest. I wondered who had committed the murder (and the murder occurred early). I also liked the budding romance between the owner of the Blue Whale Inn and the Mayor. This love story is woven quite well into the fabric of the story, or at least I thought so. There is quite a bit of detail which makes the story interesting and visual. Although I figured out who the killer was about half way through the book, it was still an enjoyable read seeing how the authors got to the point of revealing the culprit.

This is a great new series, it was difficult to put the book down. This is just a fun read with some really great twists to the plot and you just have to love the character Dae. Looking forward to where these adventures will take us.

Initially, I was attracted to this book by the cover. It was dreary and rainy outside and the beach picture was so picturesque and relaxing, I just had to pick it up. Then I discovered that the story was set in Duck, North Carolina. I spent my summer vacation there last year. Reading the story, I could imagine myself right in the middle of everything that was happening. The story was well constructed and kept me turning the pages (even when I needed to go to bed!). My only disappointment was that the main character did not get the boyfriend in the end. I can only assume that this romance will be continued in future books. Speaking of which, I cannot wait for the next two in this series to come out! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.